Handheld mobile computing devices have proliferated as their usefulness and functionality have improved. To the extent that the handheld device may be configurable or customizable for different classes of user, the utility the devices is enhanced.
Handheld computers are available with various means of user input functionality. For example, touch screen displays may be especially desirable for applications where keyboard and mouse systems do not allow a satisfactory, intuitive, rapid, or accurate interaction by the user with the display's content. The touch screen enables a user to interact directly with the information displayed on the display screen, rather than indirectly in the case of a mouse or touchpad. For such classes of users, it is contemplated that a full functionality keyboard may not be necessary. Accordingly, such a class of user may prefer not to incur the cost of a full functionality keyboard, given their needs or applications for handheld computing.
It would therefore be advantageous for a manufacturer of handheld computers to provide a handheld computer having different variations of keyboard functionality suited to the needs of different classes of users, while maximizing commonality of other components of the handheld computer.